1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program, and in particular to a game program for causing a computer to implement a game that will dispatch a moving object from a character displayed on a touch panel type of monitor. In addition, the present invention relates to a game device and a game method that is implemented by this game program.
2. Background Information
Various video games have been proposed in the past. Various video games now allow one to issue various commands to a character displayed on a monitor by operating an input unit that is independent of a game unit, e.g., various input buttons on a controller, or by operating various input buttons that are integrally provided on the game unit. For example, a standard game device has a monitor, a game unit that is separate from the monitor, and a controller that is separate from the game unit. A plurality of input buttons are arranged on the controller. In addition, a portable game device has a game unit, a liquid crystal monitor arranged in the approximate central portion of the game unit, and a plurality of input buttons that are arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal monitor. With this type of game device, various commands can be issued to a character displayed on the monitor by operating at least one of the plurality of input buttons.
Thus, one known video game in which commands to a character are performed from input buttons includes a competitive video game, e.g., a baseball game, in which athlete characters are displayed on a monitor and a competition takes place. With this baseball game, when the player operates a pitcher, the player can move the mitt position of the catcher character by selectively pushing the directional command button during the pitching motion of the pitcher character. Then, the ball character will be thrown to the mitt position of the catcher character when the moving object, e.g., the ball character, is released by the pitcher character.
With a conventional baseball game, a player can indicate the course in which the pitcher character will throw the ball to the catcher character by selectively operating the directional command buttons. For example, by selectively and continuously pushing the right direction command button and the down direction command button, a player can cause the mitt position of the catcher character to move to a position at the lower inside corner of a left-handed batter. When this occurs, the ball character released by the pitcher character will be thrown to the mitt position of the catcher character that is at the lower inside corner of the left-handed batter.
Here, the player must continuously push the right direction command button and continuously push the down direction command button, and cause the mitt position of the catcher character to move to the lower inside corner position of the left-hand batter, within a period of time that is limited by the pitching motion of the pitcher character. Because of this, if there is a distance between the mitt position of the catcher and the desired course position, e.g., the lower inside corner of a left-handed batter, the ball character may be released from the pitcher character before the mitt position of the catcher character arrives at the lower inside corner position of the left-handed batter. In other words, the ball may be placed on a course that is different from the desired course.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need to make it possible to accurately and easily place a moving object in a desired position. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.